安阿伯 (ān ā bó) — Ann Arbor (city in Michigan, USA)

Definition

noun
Ann Arbor (city in Michigan, USA)

Examples

  • 安阿伯。
    Wǒ míng nián yào qù ān ā bó liú xué.
    I'm going to study abroad in Ann Arbor next year.
  • 安阿伯。
    ān ā bó Shì yí gè dà xué chéng.
    Ann Arbor is a college town.
  • 安阿伯。
    Tā zài ān ā bó zhù le sān nián.
    He lived in Ann Arbor for three years.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
音译yīnyìTransliteration

The characters spell the sound of a foreign word; their individual meanings play no part.

安ān
阿ā
伯bó

The characters 安阿伯 only spell the foreign name Ann Arbor and carry no meaning of their own here.

Sound-only characters

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
可
可kě阿ā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The part 阜 points to a mound, and 可 gives the pronunciation; 阿 originally meant a big mound.

Open 阿 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái伯bó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

伯 pairs 人 (person) with 白, which gives its sound.

Open 伯 →

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